After a government crackdown last week, protest groups have begun keeping the venues for their demonstrations demanding the resignation of Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha secret until the last minute in a bid to outsmart authorities. But protesters have quickly noticed that they are often second on the scene, behind food vendors setting up their carts and readying themselves for a busy night of brisk sales. Business has been booming since the protest movement kicked off in July, with the vendors now a regular feature on the sidelines. Selling food to captive crowds often numbering in the tens of thousands is increasingly lucrative, said Anucha Noipan, a fried chicken vendor who used to make $97 a day. Tensions ratcheted last week, with police deploying water cannons against protesters in Bangkok’s central shopping district, drawing widespread condemnation from Thai society as images of the attack pinged across social media.

Source: Manila Times October 23, 2020 16:18 UTC